Former Bellator MMA and UFC commentator Jimmy Smith is undoubtedly someone who will be an asset to any MMA promotion. After his release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, many expected Jimmy Smith to sign with one of the other major MMA promotions, which includes ONE Championship. Over the past year, ONE Championship has made numerous statement signings, including the signings of former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson.

To address the speculation around his future, Jimmy recently posted a video on his social media platforms, explaining why he hasn’t popped up in Asia’s leading MMA promotion. Smith explained that his manager was indeed in talks with ONE Championship, and the promotion was interested in signing him.

However, there was a particular law in Singapore that made it difficult for the former UFC commentator to sign with ONE.

“I was in talks with ONE FC… my manager was in talks with ONE FC”, Smith said. “Right after I left the UFC. So anyways, he says, ‘They love you, they think you’re great. You do great work. (But) you have to move to Singapore.’

“Okay, I’ve been to Singapore a couple of times. Really cool place; I enjoyed it. Very nice. I like the people, I have some friends there. Not easy, obviously, to pick up my life and move to South East Asia. So I’m doing my research about move to Singapore, and lo-and-behold, pitbulls are illegal in Singapore.

“I can’t take my dogs with me. They are illegal to own, illegal to import. They are also illegal in Hong Kong, Australia, and all of Malaysia. So, (it’s) not easy to get pitbulls in South East Asia. So anyway, I have a friend of mine in Singapore whom I called, and is this like a, ‘Wink-wink, nudge-nudge. Nobody really cares’ kind of thing? And she goes, ‘100% real. You cannot import a pitbull’.

“So that was it. I have a really small family, with only two people I trust to look after my dogs, and they couldn’t do it. So, that was it. I wasn’t able to relocate because my dogs are illegal, and I couldn’t take them with me. My dogs are family. I don’t give them up for anybody or anything. I don’t regret that, at all.”

Jimmy Smith also mentioned that ONE Championship was very understanding, and there were no issues or ill will between the two parties.